Photo by RIA Novosti
According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, the Kremlin is ramping up drone production amid efforts to show compensation for the social and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Fountain: ISW
Literally“The Kremlin continues to signal its commitment to enhancing Russian drone operations in Ukraine and drone production capabilities amid efforts to offset the social and economic effects of Russia’s protracted war.”
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Details:Russian Governor Vladimir Putin met with Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission on September 19 and discussed ongoing efforts to increase production of Russian drones.
He acknowledged that drones are an integral part of modern warfare and that Russia’s war in Ukraine further confirmed that assessment.
Putin said Russian companies delivered around 140,000 drones to the Russian military in 2023 and claimed that Russia plans to increase drone production tenfold (to 1.4 million drones) by 2024.
The Kremlin leader stressed that Russia should “constantly” increase its capabilities in the production of drones and increase the efficiency of Russian-made unmanned aerial vehicles to meet the needs of the Russian military.
He also praised Russia’s private initiatives in drone production.
Putin noted that private drones are not “inferior” to those produced by state-owned defense companies, and that the Russian Defense Ministry reportedly thoroughly tests all drone models before delivering them to Russian troops on the front lines.
However, a DW investigation has uncovered evidence that some Russian irregular forces may be testing newly developed drones in attacks against Ukrainian civilians, possibly to speed up testing.
Experts add that Russian bloggers constantly complain about the low quality of government drones and often praise private initiatives for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, calling them more efficient.
Literally“Putin’s claims that Russia plans to increase drone production to 1.4 million units by 2024 are slightly lower than Ukraine’s planned drone production rate for 2024.
In March 2024, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries Hanna Hvozdyar stated that Ukraine intends to produce two million drones by 2024, and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine prioritizes modernization and continued development of new drones to meet the needs of Ukrainian military personnel.
Key ISW findings from September 19:
- Putin reportedly rejected requests from the Defense Ministry to compensate for Russian losses and announced another wave of mobilization in spring 2024 to avoid the political costs of a forced call-up. Since then, Putin has remained committed to his crypto-mobilization drive, limiting Russia’s mobilization potential.
- Mobilization in Russia remains unlikely in the short to medium term due to Putin’s personal fear that mobilization would pose a direct threat to the stability of his regime.
- Russian authorities have reportedly tasked Russian forces with driving Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region by mid-October 2024 and creating a “buffer zone” in Ukraine’s border areas along the border with Russia in northeastern Ukraine by the end of October – significant commitments that the Russian military is unlikely to be able to meet in such a short time frame.
- The Kremlin continues to signal its commitment to enhancing Russian drone operations and production capabilities in Ukraine amid efforts to offset the socio-economic effects of Russia’s protracted military campaign.
- Putin said Russia should ensure the “absence of obstacles” to the movement of Russian citizens between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad region.
- The transfer of Indian artillery shells to Ukraine through European intermediaries is reportedly causing tensions in Russian-Indian relations.
- The European Parliament has called on member states to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range systems provided by the West to attack military targets in Russia.
- Recently, Ukrainian troops made a small advance in the Kursk region.
- Ukrainian troops have recently advanced near Pokrovsk, and Russian troops have advanced near Kharkiv, Svatovo, Siversk, Chasy Yaru, Pokrovsk and Gulyaipol.
- During a meeting on the development of the Russian Armed Forces on September 18, Putin said the Kremlin intends to improve the personnel training system at the federal level.
